Medieval Toledo

Last Updated July 17, 1998

Titus Livius, an author of Imperial Rome, described Toledo as a "small fortified town" but it has grown in magnificence since then. Noble visitor, you can see the great city from the cerro del Emperador (Emperor’s Hill), before you enter. The city itself is built on a wide hill bordered on three sides by the river gorge. From the hillside you see the walls of the city. The rio Tajo embraces the city on three sides; our fortress walls protect what the river leaves bare. The Romans began the walls around the city they called Toletum; the Visigoths built them up further under King Wamba in 674, and the Muslims fortified them again. By then the city was called Tolaitola. When El Cid Compeador and Alfonso VI took the city, they repaired and strengthened the walls to the state you see them now, with the greatest walls along the northern face. Our city can not be taken by force. But the same river and walls that keep out the armies that would destroy us also hold back the farmers and traders that would feed us in time of war. Bare attack cannot defeat us, but a long siege can - as the Romans, Ostrogoths, Visigoths and Muslims have each in turn learned.

But these are peaceful times, praise be to God and our king. And farmers and merchants flock to our city, especially to-day, market day. Come, noble visitor, you may enter through the main gate in the north, the Puerta de la Bisagra, which once wore the head of Sheik Hixen, who rebelled against Caliph Abderaman in 838 as the Christians reckon the years. Many now call it Puerto de Alfonso VI, since the King and the Cid entered through this gate when they conquered the city almost two centuries ago. The road here leads straight, though with a climb, to the Plaza de Zocodover, the market square. You must also pass through the Puerto del Sol, with its rounded outside tower, its square inner tower, and Mudejar gatehouse from the last century. It bears a warning: two women hold a head on a tray. They are two Toledañas who were violated by Fernando González, the Alguacil (Constable) of the city. Fernando III, our noble king, had his head cut off and this warning carved on the west-facing Sun Gate.

Pray heed the cry of "Agua va"! These Christians throw their night soil in the street; it matters not how close they are to their own churches. The road to our right leads to the Kahal, the Jewish quarter of the city, where we clean our waste as God commands!

'Tis noisy as we approach the Zocodover on a market day! The yells of the vendors, the laughter of children, the scolding or praise of mothers! Merchants and custom haggling, the cries of animals awaiting purchase or slaughter, traveling bards, musicians and poet-sellers hoping to attract the patronage of some scholar or noble, or earn some bread or an orange from the market crowd. There may be a puppet-master portraying some farce or heroic legend, or perhaps some comicos de la legua, travelling players. And, as every day, the intermittent bells of the church or the calls of the muezzin. When the bells ring, none but the occasional priest or novice take heed, but the marketplace quiets as faithful Muslim merchants and town folk are called to prayer.

You can buy mazapán (sweet marzipan) here. The Muslims buy and sell horses here, and artisans sell damascene ware - fine Toledo steel etched with copper, silver, and even gold threads. Potters from the nearby town of Talavera sell their painted pots here, and spice dealers bring precious azafrán (saffron) from Consuegra. Diverse merchants sell trinkets, perfumes, toilet accessories,, expensive materials, damascened and engraved weapons, embroidery, carpets, jewelry, and ells upon ells of woolen fabrics. The ventas or inns nearby do not sell food; I'm sure by now in your travels through our kingdom you have grown accustomed to carrying your own, buying from local butchers or hunters, or paying your ventoro to buy it for you. But here you may find a bodegone, a tavern with food or a bodegone de puntapie, a tavern stall, where you can get sopa de ajo (garlic soup), and tortillas (omelets) as well. Farmers bring their produce to town - flour, rice, and vegetables. Poultry, cattle and sheep are taken to kosher or Christian butchers. There is fish from the Tajo as well. And the Christians will even eat pigs and eels!

Even when it is not Market Day, the Plaza de Zocodover is often busy when the Christian noblemen or other poderosos (men of power), particpate in corridas (bullfights) or juegos de cañas, javelin jousting.

There are several Mosques still in use, including the Mosque Mezquita, with its nine cupolas raising over four Gothic columns, as they say the great Mosque of Cordoba has. There is a mosque next to the Puerto del Sol which is all of brick, with a façade of linking arches and the inscription "Only Allah is great". The Muslims also built the mighty fortress of the Alcazár, on the highest point in town. It is square, with four towers. There has always been some fortress on that hill, since the time of the Romans. Alfonso VI restored the Muslim fortress he'd captured there in 1085, and entrusted it to the Cid. Because of the strength and beauty of our city, the king made Toledo the capital of all Castile.

Most of the other Muslim temples have been converted to Christian churches as the number of Christians increase and the number of Muslims decrease. Behind the Puerta de Bisagra was a mosque which is now the church of Santiago del Arrabal, with a tower left from the last century. The church of San Román was a mosque which had been restored by Don Esteban Illan, he who proclaimed Alfonso VIII king. He had pictures of Christian images with Muslim geometric and botanic designs. Eight years ago our Archbishop, Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, consecrated it as a church.

Some of the Christian churches from the Arab occupation still stand, such as San Sebastián (now being rebuilt) and Santa Eulalia, Cristo de la Vega, San Vicente, San Miguel, and Santo Tomé from the last century, although they’re building more. Santo Domingo was built by Alfonso VI on the ruins of what was once a Visigoth convent. They are finishing now the Iglesia de Santo Cristo de la Luz, and have plans, we hear, to decorate it in frescoes. They are also building a new cathedral at the end of calle de Comercio, where the Muslims’ Great Mosque used to be. They started it seven years ago, when Ferdinand III and the Archbishop, Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, lay the foundation. Before, the site held a church built by Recaredo, the Visigoth king, in 587. The Muslims made it their main mosque, and Alfonso VI allowed them to continue to use it, but two years later his queen, Constancia, and his archbishop, Bernardo of Sahagun, expelled the Muslims and made it a Christian church. When the king returned, Alfaqui Abu-Walid met him on the road to gain his pardon for the queen and archbishop, desiring no more ill will between them. Every year we now celebrate the anniversary of that date, January 24, as a day of peace.

They plan for the cathedral to be a mighty temple, but I wonder if it will compare to our main synagogue, with its 24 richly ornamented octagonal columns and arches in the Arabic style. It stands nearly in the center of the Jewish Quarter. We also have a synagogue with 32 pillars, 29 arches, and a ceiling of larch wood. The stucco columns each boast a different carving on the top. This was built at the end of the last century

Let us enter the aljama, what we call the kahal: the Jewish quarter, bounded by strong walls to protect us from the Gentiles. There are not only walls protecting us. The aljamas of Sepharad have their takkanot, neighborhood laws, as well. In Toledo, our takkanah, the statute of the aljama, is written in Arabic. It is forceful, including the punishment of herem (excommunication) for breaking the laws, as well as monetary fines and corporal punishment. However, all members of the kahal have the right to direct appeal to the King, salva fidelitat or salva la fe’ del senyor. Herem, permanent excommunication, usually reserved for a malsin, an informer. Niddui, short, temporary excommunication, is used by the community to punish a lesser transgression.

Here be a drinking well. Let us stop for water; I'll fill your cup for you. The summers on the meseta highlands are hot and the sun glances off the bright white-washed walls of the city's houses. 'Tis almost too much for the eyes, all the bright colors of people's clothes, the tile-work, and the merchants' bright booths! 'Tis cooler in my father's garden courtyard, where citrus trees and date palms shade the fountain. Yes, my father is a merchant as well as a scholar. This year he serves as one of the mukdamin as well. The mukdamin serve as councilmen to the Jewish community, making laws, appointing judges, and collecting money when it is needed, such as when a Toledaño merchant has the misfortune - God forfend! - of being ransomed by pirates, and we must repay the Jews of whatever city paid for him.

Many of us in the Kahal own our own small lands, our houses and courtyards, and for some, vineyards and fields without the city. There are some Jews in Castile who own whole villages or castles: These are few. Many homeowners in Toledo were given their land grants, along with elective privileges and tax exemptions, when the Muslims fled the conquering armies of the Cid and Alfonso VI (in that time of armies, many Jews were given military responsibilities as well - left to command garrisons in fortresses in the newly-reclaimed lands).

The Jews of Castile are under the direct protection and laws of our king, Don Fernando III (may he live to be one hundred and ten!), but legal matters between Jews he leaves to us. My father hopes he is never appointed as a judge to the Bet Din - Jewish legal court. It would take too much of his time away from his business, he says (even with my help, as I keep the ledgers for him to give him time to study Torah). Unlike Christian judges of these days, a judge in the Jewish community must be honest, and does not keep for himself the fines he levies. They are men trained in Rabbinic law, elected by popular vote or appointed. My father takes consolation in the knowledge that a truly difficult case could be appealed to the rab e juez mayor, the king’s physician or chief fiscal agent, considered to be the “chief rabbi”. Often Father just acts as one of the three witnesses that are required to validate a document. As a woman, even though I can read and write Hebrew, I need not worry about such civic duties.

The King’s taxes on his Jews are collective, not individual. The whole kahal is responsible for the sum. The poll tax is 3 maravedís per person: 30 dineros, or half-and-one English pounds. A man can count himself rich, if with the blessings of God he has 1000 maravedís! Some nobles have borrowed as much from my father or other honest Jews in the city. I have engaged in money-lending myself (always with Gentiles, of course, as it is forbidden to lend money at interest to a fellow Jew). This is not unusual for a well-born daughter such as I, but never have I engaged with such sums as these!

In the evening, when the day's heat cools, my father often holds a gathering of scholars at our house. Not only rabbis, physicians, and other learned Jews, but Muslim scholars and Christian courtiers of Don Fernando's court, and Prince Alfonso's friends and advisors as well. They compose poetry, relate tales, tell of history, play chess, discuss the arcane philosophies of the ancient Greeks, and compete in trials of wit and grammar. Other evenings, he attends such gatherings at other gentlemen's houses (where I can not listen to their talk!). By day, some of these scholars work together to translate works from Greek or Arabic into Hebrew or Castilian. Scholarship has moved from its traditional homes in Cordoba and Granada to Toledo these days. The Rabbi says, “Make your way among the learned, tend the poor without fee, seek the company of poets and write with elegance and learning”.

Our houses may not look like much from the street, I know. There are few windows looking out, and few ornamentation to relieve the white-washed walls. But each conceals a secret gem: the central courtyard, decorated with flowers, vines, and fruit trees. There are often fountains dancing within pools, overlooked by a balcony that runs around the entire upper floor. Allow me to be your hostess as you enter the zaguán, the tiled and furnished entrance hall. Please, come into the estrado, the drawing room. Perhaps a setier (half-liter) of wine? We have many arrobes (liters) in storage. Look around - my father has acquired several beautiful wooden chests and even a bargueño, a delicate chest of drawers. At night we will light the oil lamps. In the winter, for warmth, we use metal braziers on wooden stands (it does get cold then!). Relax, my guest. In the heat of the day we enjoy a siesta!

The city's history is old. When the Romans arrived 192 years after the birth of Jesus, we Jews were already living here. We named the city Toldoth (Generations), for descendants of each of the Ten Tribes are found here, the rabbis say. When the Roman Empire fell in Iberia in 418, Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, made his court here in 513. Leovigildo, king of the Visigoths, made it his capital, too, in 569, and for almost the next 150 years, the Visigoth kings were chosen and crowned here. Then the city was taken by the Saracen captain Tariq in 712. Three hundred years later it fell to Alfonso VI and the Cid, on May 25, 1055.

If you are continuing to the great cities of the south, you may leave by the Puente de al Cantara (Arch Bridge), which spans the rio Tajo to the southeast. It was built by the Muslims in 866. Its two towers and mighty archways are watched over by San Servando Castle on the far shore. This castle was governed by the Cid after Alfonso VI had it restored, and now the Knights Templar keep it. The river flooded 31 years ago, destroying the western bridge, Puente de San Martin. One of its support towers still stand; now girls are starting to say it is la baño de la Cava, Florinda La Cava's bathing place, where the Visigoth king Rodrigo fell in love with her. Further down the river, past Servando Castle, is the palace and gardens built by Galafre, the governor of Toledo when Muslims ruled. His beautiful daughter was desired by Muslim and Christian nobles alike.

Jews in the Jewish Quarter

See also Jewish Culture in the Christian Kingdoms and Juderias in Spain.

For a modern tour, see All About Spain. See a photo-tour of Toledo by clicking here, and see some additional photos, including some of the Jewish quarter and synagogues, here.

TRAVELING THROUGH JEWISH SPAIN

The Sinagoga Santa Maria la Blanca was built in 1203 by Yosef ibn Sosan under Alfonso VIII. It is a very plain blocky building on the outside. Inside, it is Moorish in style with five parrallel aisles separated by 32 capials/columns that support 25 large red and white stripped horse-shoe arches. You get the feeling of being in a forest.

El Transito Synagogue and Museum: The Sinagoga el Transito was built in 1357 by Samuel ha-Levi who was financial advisor to King Pedro I (also known as Pedro the Cruel.) Like the Santa Maria la Blanca, the outside of the El Transito is insignificant and plain, but inside it is one of the masterpieces of "Mudejar" art. Inside, the synagogue is a simgle elegant sanctuary/nave, a rectangular hall 70 feet long long by 25 feet wide and 50 feet high, crowned with beautiful larchwood ceiling beams and exquisitely panelled ceiling. Along the south wall is an upstairs women's gallery (once with its own outside entry) for the women) with five beautifful wood-latticed windows where the women could follow the service unobserved by and undistracting to male eyes. Hebrew inscriptions (mainly from the Psalms) are carved on the walls as borders. On the east wall, there was a niche to contain the ark. On the wall left of the niche is an inscription with an eulogy of the patron who made possible the construction of the synagogue, Samuel Halevi, and at the same time, of the King of Castile, Pedro I. Alas, Samuel Halevi later fell out of favor with Pedro the Cruel and the king had him beheaded in Seville. Attached to the synagogue is an excellent museum of Sephardic Jewish history.

In 1391, Toledo had ten (10) synagogues and five (5) talmudic schools. The majority were destroyed in that same year, and only two, converted into churches, have survived to this day.(The Transito was converted into a priory of San Benito and then a hermitage dedicated to the "Transito" or Death of Mary, the mother of Jesus).

For a description of the water locks that the Muslims built, see the Glimpses of Islamic Civilization page.

 

References

Juan Campos Payo, 1992, This is Toledo. Artes Graficas Toledo S.A. (Toledo, Spain).

Franz N. Mehling, Ed. 1985, Spain: A Phaidon Cultural Guide. Prentice-Hall, Inc. (New Jersey, USA).

Abraham A. Neuman, 1942, The Jews of Spain, V. I: A Political-Economic Study.


This page is part of Chaiya's Sephardic World, a website devoted to the history and culture of Jews in Medieval Spain. The site is centered around the fictional SCA persona of Chaiya bat Avraham Toledano, created by Stacy Braslau-Schneck, the author of these pages. Chaiya is a Jewish lady living in Toledo in the 1230s. The SCA, or Society for Creative Anachronism, is an educational organization devoted to researching and recreating the Middle Ages.

I do not claim to be an historian, only a hobbyist. All errors are mine, all text is copyrighted to me, and all comments are welcome! "Yad/Return" image ©2001 Ilene Winn-Lederer

©2001 Ilene Winn-Lederer Return to Chaiya's Sephardic World

Continue to the Resources page.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page

1